Coronavirus: Another 761 COVID-19 deaths in hospitals in UK

Another 761 patients with coronavirus have died in UK hospitals.

The Department of Health announced the increase, which takes the total to 12,868.

The number of tests for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has also risen by 15,994 to 398,916, although this includes some people being tested more than once.

There have now been 98,476 positive tests for the illness in the UK.

Once again, figures were also provided by health authorities in each of the home nations, which collate their stats at different times throughout the day and so may not tally up to the government’s overall total.

NHS England said another 651 coronavirus patients had died in hospitals in England, taking its total to 11,656.

Patients were aged between 20 and 101, and 20 of those (aged 20 to 101) had no known underlying health conditions when they tested positive for coronavirus.

London had the most deaths with 153, followed by the Midlands with 128, while the East of England and North West both recorded 107.

There were 76 in the South East, 49 in the North East & Yorkshire, and 31 in the South West.

Scotland recorded another 84 deaths, which was its biggest daily increase to date.

Wales also recorded its highest daily increase with 60, and Northern Ireland recorded another six.

In each country, the number of deaths in hospitals now stands at:

• England – 11,656
• Scotland – 699
• Wales – 463
• Northern Ireland – 140

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have also suggested that the UK’s true coronavirus death toll is much higher than the hospital figures indicate.

The latest ONS update on Tuesday showed 10% of coronavirus-related fatalities in England and Wales during the week ending 3 April did not happen in hospital, with more than half of those happening in care homes.

It came after news at Monday’s government coronavirus briefing that 92 care homes had reported outbreaks of the disease in the 24 hours before the conference.

The National Records of Scotland also revealed on Wednesday that – as of 12 April – almost 25% of 962 registered deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned in the death certificate in Scotland had occurred in care homes.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said deaths outside hospitals would be included in the Scottish government’s daily updates from now on, adding that 433 care homes in Scotland had recorded incidents of coronavirus.

She said Scotland has moved to now testing all symptomatic patients in care homes.

Opposition parties have warned of a “growing crisis” in care homes and there are demands for those deaths to be included in the daily government updates to stop “potentially thousands” of fatalities going “under the radar”.

The government has pledged that social care staff who need a test for COVID-19 will be able to access one as testing capacity continues to increase, but one minister has said care home outbreaks were “almost unavoidable”.

Social care minister Helen Whately told Sky News care homes are “used to” infection control due to seasonal flu.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Another 761 COVID-19 deaths in hospitals in UK